China Entrepreneur Club Meets with UN Secretary-General on Sustainable Business Practices Ahead of Rio+20

(New York) – Nearly 30 Chief Executive Officers of highly influential Chinese private companies in the China Entrepreneur Club (CEC) met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this week as part of a visit to the United States. The delegation sought to deepen their understanding of the United Nations perspective on sustainable business practices and the contributions of corporate sustainability to UN goals.

During their visit to the U.S., the delegation of CEOs participated in a series of meetings with influential business and political leaders under the theme “paths to innovation and entrepreneurship”. Meeting with the Secretary-General provided an opportunity to introduce the Chief Executives to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), the United Nations Global Compact, and Caring for Climate, the largest business-led climate initiative and a partnership of the UN Global Compact and UNEP, with the support of UNFCCC.

Established in 2006 as a non-profit organization, the China Entrepreneur Club is a UN Global Compact participant and represents over 30 companies which account for approximately four percent of Chinese gross domestic product (GDP). The CEC’s annual China Green Companies Summit brings together influential Chinese corporations to showcase business innovation in support of green growth and sustainable development.

At a luncheon held on 8 November titled, A Global Compact for Rio: Business Contribution to a Green and Sustainable Future, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commended the CEC for its participation in the Global Compact and highlighted the role of public-private partnerships toward reaching UN goals – in particular the opportunity to advance sustainable development at Rio+20.

“We must carry the spirit of public-private collaboration forward to next year’s UN Conference on Sustainable Development,” he said. “Rio + 20 is a major opportunity to set the world on a more sustainable and equitable course. We must make it a success.”

On behalf of the Chinese government Ambassador Wang Min, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the UN, said, “We encourage Chinese companies to engage in extensive international exchanges to share experience, explore comprehensive solutions and forge practical partnerships, thus making positive contributions to Rio+20 and the global sustainable development agenda.”

Liu Chuanzhi, Chairman of the China Entrepreneur Club and President of Legend Holdings Ltd., noted his appreciation for the Secretary-General’s commitment to sustainable development and the green economy agenda, and expressed his support for the UN’s strategic priorities on sustainable development.